Redstone Arsenal contract worker to plead guilty to obstruction charges
(WAFF) - A court date has been set for a Redstone Arsenal contract worker accused of obstructing a federal audit.
Teresa Mayberry plans to plead guilty. Prosecutors say she intentionally deceived and defrauded the U.S. government.
According to a plea agreement from the U.S Attorney's office, Mayberry was authorized to sign contracts on behalf of the government.
Investigators say she created a series of false documents in order to hinder a federal audit.
The investigation centers around a contract that provided parts for Russian-made helicopters. In 2011, the Department of Defense Inspector General's office began looking into the details of the more than $8 million contract.
It included the purchase of "spare parts and overhauls" for the helicopters. According to the U.S. Attorney's office, Mayberry knowingly sent investigators false documents about price proposals and technical evaluations.
Mayberry wasn't the only Redstone contract worker investigated. In April, Army Colonel Norbert Vergez pleaded guilty to making false statements and conflict of interest related to the same helicopter contract.
We reached out to the U-S Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal to learn what is being done to prevent misuse of your tax dollars.
Statement:
Army Contracting Command and the Army take fraud very seriously. Any complaint of fraud or other ethical violations are fully investigated and the appropriate actions are taken. The Army has put into place safeguards to identify potential problems such as technical errors or fraud. All contracting officials undergo a rigorous training and accreditation process. This helps to prevent technical errors or mistakes that may cause issues with contracting actions. The safeguards also include internal reviews of the contracting action by other contracting officials. The internal review looks at the cost and pricing of the action and the technical aspects of the contracting action. Reviews determine the contract action's compliance with governing laws and regulations and the fair and reasonableness of proposed award prices. The number of people involved increases as the value of the contract increases. Another safeguard is the post-award contract administration process. A contracting officer's representative reviews the contractor's performance and ensures the contract requirements are met. The representative is a different government employee from the contracting officer.
Army Contract Command would not comment directly on Mayberry's case.
Mayberry's arraignment is set for next Thursday. We reached out to her attorney Wednesday, however the attorney declined to comment. Vergez will be sentenced in August.
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